Asbestos Use in Australia

Australia holds the title of having some of the largest numbers of asbestos-related cases.  Asbestos mining began during the end of the 19th century when manufacturing businesses and builders utilized asbestos as material in building construction and mixture material in some commercial products.

The utilization of asbestos growth rapidly because of its desirable physical properties such as its absorption of sound, its heat, electrical and chemical proof, and how affordable it is to use.

As the consequences, we can see many residences, public buildings to government properties contaminated with asbestos material.
Due to its extensive utilization as the mixture material in building construction, be aware of the asbestos material if your house built prior to the 1990’s.

House constructed before the 1990’s likely to contain asbestos material. Thus, if you live in an older house, it’s better to check whether your premises contain the fiber material.

Types of Asbestos

Asbestos is categorized into two primary groups:

• Serpentine Asbestos – Consist of only Chrysotile or white asbestos. This sort of asbestos is most often used and makes up 90% of the total market.
• Amphibole Asbestos – The rest of asbestos types are categorized below this class. This category contains:
• • Amosite
  • Crocidolite
  • Tremolite
  • Anthophyllite
  • Actinolite

  Recognized as the brown asbestos or “grunerite”. Because of the strength and heat resistance, this kind of asbestos is manufactured commercially for many developing components, such as thermal insulation, plumbing insulation, insulation boards, and many more.

  recognized as the blue asbestos or “wooly stone”. Crocidolite asbestos is used in various industrial items, such as ceiling tiles, fire protection, and insulation boards. However, because this kind of asbestos has less resistance to heat, it was not used as much in industrial manufacturing.

  Tremolite asbestos is another kind of asbestos used mainly for commercial goods for it is durable, versatile and heat proof, and can be made into cloth. Tremolite was used in paint, sealant, insulation, roofing materials, and so on.

  Anthophyllite asbestos is a kind of asbestos that rarely used commercially. Although it is seldom discovered in industrial goods, but anthopyllite asbestos can be found in vermiculite and talc.

  Actinolite is the other amphibole that is generally dark in color. Actinolite may be seen in numerous forms with different colors, including white, gray, brown, or green.

   

Probably the most common asbestos products found in the average house are products with a cemented element, such as:

• Asbestos sheeting (fibro)
• Roofing, shingles, guttering, downpipes
• Fencing
• Thermal boards around fireplaces
• Under layer material on vinyl flooring tiles
• Gaskets in wood stoves
• Water of flue pipes
• Insulation utilized on stoves, hot water pipes, heaters
• Asbestos cement sheeting
• Internal and external walls
• Ceilings and floor tiles

The Danger Of Do-It-Yourself Asbestos Removal

Asbestos is a severe and dangerous material. Working to remove the asbestos material by yourself is not a wise decision. Therefore, hiring a professional will help to remove the material safely.

• Asbestos is a tiny fiber and once it inhaled it will lodge in our lungs and may lead to asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos Removal procedure is a risky process. There is a high possibility of the fibers goes airborne in the process. For that reason, Do-It-Yourself asbestos removal will put you in higher danger of exposing asbestos fiber. Hiring a professional will help diminish the risk of exposing asbestos fiber to yourself and the surrounding environment.
• Inhalation of asbestos fiber while working with asbestos material may cause asbestos-related diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma. Unfortunately, there are not any proven cure yet for the diseases.
• You may do the do-it-yourself procedure, but with some limitation. For instance, unlicensed person or home renovator can remove non-friable or bonded asbestos materials that do not exceed than 10m2 (always wear protective equipment and follow the safe work guidelines). But, if you have friable asbestos material on your property, you must contact a licensed professional to remove the asbestos material.
• Asbestos removal procedure will require proper equipment for the process that is able to counter the tiny fiber get into our body. For that reason, if you are going to remove the material by yourself, you need to equip yourself with the appropriate facilities and extensive knowledge on how to remove the material safely.

Importance Of Hiring A Qualified Asbestos Removal Company

• While homeowners can legally remove asbestos from their houses, it is prudent to always hire licensed professionals to eliminate asbestos, especially the friable types.
• Asbestos removal professionals have the required knowledge, experience and equipment for removing asbestos without causing the release of harmful fibers.
  
  When contacted, removal experts usually inspect homes and often collect samples of materials that are suspected to be containing fiber substance for laboratory testing
• Similarly, asbestos removal experts in Australia usually create asbestos management plans to protect yourself, your loved one and your surrounding environment from the dangers of asbestos during the removal procedure.
• It’s important to always wear the protective gears such as gloves, goggles, and respirators in the process. The removal experts assure that the entire process is managed without the release of fibers. Indeed, hiring an expert asbestos removalist is a good way of protecting your children and family from the dangerous material.

Australia has experienced extensive mining and usage of asbestos products over the years, resulting in huge risks and potential exposure to asbestos fibers.

Many old properties had constructed before the 1990’s were built using asbestos cement and other products containing asbestos which can expose people who live in the house and community in the surrounding area to terrible health risks.

Therefore, owners of old homes, commercial building, and industrial properties should call asbestos removal experts to inspect their properties and conduct hazard-free asbestos removal.